Standing Tall
by seaweedfma
Summary: It's easy to forget your point of view, until it changes. Jean gets to see the world in a way he never thought possible. Jean Havoc, Roy Mustang, the rest of the gang, no pairing. Rated PG for medical talk. Possible AU. Spoilers for manga chapter 38.


Title: Standing Tall  
Author: Seaweed_FMA  
Rating: G  
Characters: Mostly Havoc and Mustang, with others coming in as well. No pairings.  
Warnings: Set after chapter 38 in the manga, possibly AU.  
Word count: 844  
Summary: It is easy to forget your point of view, until it changes.

Disclaimer: This is obviously just a lot of wishful thinking on how Havoc will end up, but I have been fascinated lately with writing a fic about this subject, just wondering how would it go?  
So enjoy.

"Are you ready for this?"

"I think so."

"You sure?"

"Well, if you keep trying to talk me out of it, I won't be!"

"Sorry."

"Damn, I'm sorry, Boss. I didn't mean to snap. I know you mean well. I'm just.. nervous."

Mustang smiled and put a hand on Havoc's shoulder. "You know we're all here for you."

"Well, for right now, I am glad it is just you in here. if I fall on my face and make a fool of myself, there will be fewer people to laugh at me."

"We would never.."

Havoc shot his Colonel a sharp look.

"Maybe a bit, but you know it's all in fun. We want this as much as you do."

All through the conversation the physical therapist had been silent, but she finally spoke up. "Any time you are ready, Lieutenant."

Havoc nodded his head and adjusted himself, digging his hands into the armrests of his wheelchair.

"Okay, here goes." Havoc took a couple of steadying breaths. He moved his wobbly legs out of the footrests, setting his feet on the linoleum floor.

"I feel it... It's cold." Havoc grinned. It was so strange to think that after all this time he could actually feel the ground underneath his bare toes.

It had taken him a long time to get to this point. Even after the Philosopher's Stone restored the feeling in his legs, it had been a very hard road to get here. The muscles in his legs were so atrophied from half a year of not being used that it took that much time again to work his muscles into being able to support his weight.

Up to this time, he had been working with the therapists to push up and partially stand, but he was very adamant that he was not going to stand for the first time fully until he was ready, and he had someone to share the moment with.

"You're going to have to get used to cold feet on bathroom tile in the morning." Mustang replied, his trademark smirk plastered on his face.

"Face it sir. You're just jealous 'cause as soon as I'm back on my feet, I'll be fighting you for the women again, and women dig a tall guy in uniform."

"Good luck, SECOND lieutenant." He replied with a sly smile, knowing that women also loved high ranking officers.

"Okay... here goes." The room went deathly silent, save a small squeak from the door in the back of the room. But deep in concentration, Havoc didn't notice it.

He continued to push upwards, first getting to a bent over position, then slowly straightening himself out. His fingers dug deep into the slight cushions on the armrests of the chair. Havoc felt his legs wobbling. He knew this would be brief, if he even made it at all. He let out a deep breath and with a last push of effort, he tensed his muscle and pushed upwards. After a couple of brief heartbeats of movement, he stood up straight.

There was a collective gasp from the room- and the blond noticed that it came from more than two voices. Havoc turned his head around to the back of the room a moment before his legs finally gave out from underneath him and he collapsed down to his knees.

"Havoc!" "Lieutenant!" he heard the voices, though his head was swimming from a combination of exhaustion and exhilaration. For a moment, just a brief, shining moment, he had been able to see the world like he had before he had been cut down in that dirty laboratory basement.

"I.. thought it was just you and I, sir." Havoc said, recognizing the other voices. "Hawkeye... Falman... Fuery... and Breda. Always sticking your nose in other people's business?"

"When it comes to seeing my best friend standing again, you bet your ass, Hav-o!" in a movement that belayed his large size, Breda was over to his friend in a moment. He smiled and offered Havoc his hand to help him back into the chair. Normally the stubborn blond wouldn't have taken it, but the fact that his muscles were screaming at him from even that small bit of work meant that he had little choice, and between the two of them, they got the man back into his chair.

"Lieutenant, are you okay? That was a great first try." The physical therapist gave Havoc a quick look over. "Do you feel any pain? Did you twist your ankle or bang your knees?"

"I am fine, ma'am. I promise." He did feel the beginning of bruise on his thigh, but he knew that he would placate his therapist when she found it later and chalk it up to missing it due to the excitement of the moment. Right now he just wanted to enjoy this... All of this.

"Good job, Lieutenant." Mustang patted Havoc on the shoulder again. "I still expect you to catch up to me.

Havoc saluted his Colonel, his smile covering his entire face. "Yes, sir."


End file.
